[Federal Register: February 5, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 24)] [Notices] [Page 4323-4324] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [[Page 4323]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part III Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Impact Aid; Notice [[Page 4324]] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Impact Aid AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Notice extending the application deadline date for Impact Aid fiscal year 1996 section 8002 grants and fiscal year 1997 section 8003 grants. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary extends the deadline date for the submission of applications for Impact Aid fiscal year 1996 section 8002 grants and fiscal year 1997 section 8003 grants to March 15, 1996. Impact Aid regulations at 34 CFR 222.3 specify that the annual application deadline is January 31. Due to a lack of appropriated funds in November and December resulting in the furlough of Department employees and inclement weather in January, the Department of Education, like many other Federal agencies, was closed for approximately five weeks. As a result, application packages could not be mailed until the week of January 15, 1996. Consequently, an extension is being granted to potential applicants under sections 8002 and 8003 for Impact Aid assistance for the respective years specified. Section 8003 applicants should use a survey date for their student counts that is at least three days after the start of the 1995-96 school year and before the extended deadline of March 15, 1996. EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice extending the application deadline date to March 15, 1996, for Impact Aid fiscal year 1996 section 8002 grants and fiscal year 1997 section 8003 grants is effective February 5, 1996. The deadline date for the transmittal of comments by State Educational Agencies is March 30, 1996. The Secretary will also accept and approve for payment any otherwise approvable application that is received on or before the sixtieth calendar day after March 15, 1996, which is May 14, 1996. However, any applicant meeting the conditions of the preceding sentence will have its payment reduced by 10 percent of the amount it would have received had its application been filed by March 15, 1996. FOR APPLICATIONS OR INFORMATION CONTACT: Impact Aid Program, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4200 Portals, Washington, DC 20202-6244. Telephone: (202) 260-3907. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Waiver of rulemaking. Section 222.3, which establishes the annual January 31 Impact Aid application deadline, is currently in effect. However, due to the government furloughs affecting the Department and inclement weather, the applications could not be mailed to applicants on a timely basis, and applicants may not have sufficient time to comply with the annual deadline. Because this amendment makes a procedural change for this year only as a result of unique circumstances, proposed rulemaking is not required under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A). In addition, the Secretary has determined under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) that proposed rulemaking on this one-time suspension of the regulatory deadline date is impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7705. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.041) Dated: January 31, 1996. Gerald N. Tirozzi, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. [FR Doc. 96-2326 Filed 2-2-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P